QPAD|XT-R
Manufacturer: QPAD
Type of pad: Hard, single surface
Material: Plastic surface, plastic base
Size: 13.7" x 10.2" x 4mm thick
Price: $30.00
Gallery: Here


The very latest offering from QPAD is a hard mousing surface called the XT-R that has been in development for a little over a year. Just the fact that the pad received that much development effort seems to exude an assurance that the product itself will be something phenomenal. A statement by Johan “Vesslan” Ryman reveals his thoughts about the mousepad:

“I am proud to be a part of the development of QPAD. The XT-R represents more than just a mousepad. In its look and feel and performance, it represents the spirit of gaming—what real competitive gaming is all about--high status! The X-TR has an aggressive and extreme appearance and great packaging, giving it a really trendy impression, making it the iPod of gaming.”

Without being too critical of the whole “iPod of gaming” thing, we have to agree that the XT-R is indeed an aggressively styled mousepad that is packaged very, very well.

Like so many other hard surface mousepads available today, the QPAD|XT-R comes enclosed in an aluminum case. For what it’s worth, the glossy white styling of the XT-R’s aluminum case probably makes it a bit nicer than any of the other aluminum cases we've seen. Inside the case there is the typical foam padding, the XT-R unit itself, Glidz mouse skates, and two neat looking case badges. We were very fond of the appearance of the XT-R, the black and dark grey Q design, along with the light grey Q in the bottom left corner make it one of the more attractive mousepads we have had the privilege of reviewing.


The construction of the XT-R is not typical of what we are used to from single surface mousepads. Rather like the Func Archetype and X-ray Thunder 8, the XT-R is a somewhat thick plastic plate with rubber pads that impede its movement on the desk/table it is placed on. However, instead of then having a separate component that can be popped out and flipped over, the XT-R’s mousing surface seems to be a thin sheet of something QPAD calls “Carbytek™”, which is adhered to the thicker plastic plate. The surface shows absolutely no sign of coming free of the plastic plate, which adds to the overall durability of the mousepad. The shape of the pad is also rather unique. Unlike pretty much every other mousepad in existence, the QPAD|XT-R is not shaped like a flat rectangle. Rather, it has a more anomalous shape that provides an “Expanded sweet spot…”. Indeed, when using your wrist to control the mouse, the XT-R allows the mouse to stay near the center (longitudinally) of the mousepad, meaning that your mouse has less of a chance to fall off the top or bottom of the surface. When subjected to the same tracking test mentioned above, the XT-R performed flawlessly.

As far as the surface itself is concerned, we found the texture of the XT-R to be nearly identical to that of the rough side of the X-ray Thunder 8, just a little bit smoother. The surface caters very well to gamers that use low sensitivities and need to move their mouse extremely fast to get shots off. For gamers that use higher sensitivities, the surface does not offer the kind of friction that might be required for short, precise mouse movements. An important aspect of the XT-R’s surface, an attribute that we spoke of in the Mousepad Roundup, is that it is relatively non-abrasive. Compared to surfaces like the SteelPad S&S and the rough side of the Razer eXactmat, damage to mouseskates is minimal on the QPAD|XT-R.

Overall, the XT-R is a worthy competitor in the hard surface category, and apparently the hard work of the development team has paid off quite well.

Pros
+ Very nice packaging for protection and aesthetics
+ Simple construction; sturdy and durable
+ Simple design; attractive in any setting
+ Size is consistent with similar hard surfaces
+ Less abrasive than SteelPad S&S
+ Includes Glidz mouse skates

Cons
- The hybrid single surface could alienate a large number of gamers
- Scarcely available in the USA

Rating
8.5 out of 10